What would you be able to do if someone encouraged you to come up with an idea that solves a problem? After all, many of the major innovations of our century have come from the simple question: How can this be solved?
In the inspiring new documentary Code Girl, solving a problem is exactly what brings a group of 5,000 girls from 60 different countries together—to compete in The Technovation Challenge. The competition gives girls the opportunity to present an idea for an app, and grants the winner $10,000 to complete and release the app to the public. Historically, the world of “code” and computer science has been mostly male, but with the app market booming more than ever, Technovation understands the value of diversifying the market. By 2017, the app market will be valued at $77 billion and over 80 percent of these developers are male. Women hold only 26 percent of all tech jobs. So how can we share these opportunities in a clearly abundant marketplace that is continuously growing?
Code Girl empowers these young girls to change the equation by bringing the issues that affect them personally to light; their communities, their dreams, and their hope for the future. By addressing real world problems using the technology of today, they’re finding that not only do those problems have solutions, but their ability to create the technology for the solution is in their own hands. The challenge is bigger than “coding”—it’s also raising up a group of young women to think like entrepreneurs and see where opportunities can become a business. The best part about it? The girls do not need to have any programming experience and Technovation is free for any girl who wants to participate. Meaning if you have the desire, if you want to learn, the opportunity is there.
Director Lesley Chilcott, behind films like “Waiting for Superman,” and “An Inconvenient Truth,” streamed the video on YouTube for free for five whole days in multiple languages, allowing the screening to be accessible for boys and girls ages 13 to 18. Code Girl is not only heartwarming and inspiring, but encourages people just like ourselves to enter into a part of the STEM world that is seemingly exclusive or out of reach. Be sure to check out the film, and learn more or sign up for The Technovation Challenge here. Curious about Code? Learn to Code here.
So, what’s a problem YOU could solve with a mobile app? We want to hear your ideas—perhaps it’ll be the next big thing to change the world.